Multi Directional Multiplexer

• US 20140186038A1
• Filed: 07/19/2012
• Published: 07/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: II-VI Delaware, Inc. (Coherent Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Finisar Corporation (II-VI Incorporated)
• Inventors: Frisken, Steven James, Plumridge, Jonathan
• Granted Patent: US 9,288,559 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 398/50
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3512 the optical element being reflective, e.g. mirror
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3546 NxM switch, i.e. a regular array of switches elements of matrix type constellation
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/356 in an optical cross-connect device, e.g. routing and switching aspects of interconnecting different paths propagating different wavelengths to (re)configure the various input and output links switching polarized beams G02B6/3594; power equalizers G02B6/356 and G02B6/3594; path selecting means H04Q11/0001
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3592 Means for removing polarization dependence of the switching means, i.e. polarization insensitive switching light guides coupling with polarization selective and adjusting means G02B6/27
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/136277 formed on a semiconductor substrate, e.g. of silicon
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/31 Digital deflection, i.e. optical switchingG02F1/33 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/02 Wavelength-division multiplex systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0005 Switch and router aspects

Abstract

Described herein is an optical transmission cross-connect for routing wavelength signals to a bank of directionless transceivers. One embodiment (1) includes an array of four common-port fibers (3) for transmitting and receiving a multiplexed optical signal and an array of sixteen add/drop fibers (5) for receiving and transmitting demultiplexed signals including individual wavelength channels. A dispersive grism (7) simultaneously spatially separates the wavelength channels from the optical signals in a dispersion dimension. A lens (45) focuses each said spatially separated wavelength channel in the dispersion dimension. A Liquid Crystal on Silicon (LCOS) device (11) separately manipulates each of the focused spatially separated wavelength channels to selectively steer the wavelength channels in a switching dimension. A micro-electromechanical mirror (MEMS) array (13) independently selectively directs the wavelength channels in the switching dimension such that the wavelength channels are coupled to predetermined ones of the add/drop fibers (5).

Claims

1. An optical signal manipulation system including:

a plurality of input ports configured for transmitting an optical signal including a plurality of wavelength channels, said input ports being spatially separated at least in a switching dimension;

a wavelength dispersion element for simultaneously spatially separating said wavelength channels from said optical signals in a dispersion dimension perpendicular to said switching dimension;

an optical power element for focusing each said spatially separated wavelength channel in said dispersion dimension;

a wavelength manipulation element for separately manipulating each of the focused spatially separated wavelength channels to selectively steer the wavelength channels in at least the switching dimension; and

a steering element for independently selectively directing the wavelength channels in at least the switching dimension such that said wavelength channels are coupled to predetermined output ports disposed in predetermined positions spaced at least along said switching dimension;

wherein said wavelength manipulation element steers said wavelength channels by an angle in the switching dimension, relative to their respective originating input port, that is less than or equal to the predetermined position of an intended said output port divided by the focal length of said optical power element.

2. An optical signal manipulation system according to claim 1 wherein said angle is approximately half the predetermined position of said intended output port divided by the focal length of said optical power element.

3. An optical signal manipulation system according to claim 1 wherein said output ports are also spatially separated in said dispersion dimension and wherein said wavelength manipulation element is also configured to independently selectively direct the optical signals in the dispersion dimension.

4. An optical signal manipulation system according to claim 3 wherein at least a subset of said input ports are also spatially separated in said dispersion dimension.

5. An optical signal manipulation system according to claim 1 wherein said wavelength manipulation element steers each said wavelength channel by an angle in the switching dimension, relative to a respective originating input port, that is less than an angle directed by said steering element in the switching dimension, relative to an intended output port.

6. An optical signal manipulation system according to claim 1 wherein said wavelength channels are incident onto said wavelength manipulation element at substantially parallel angles in the switching dimension.

7. An optical signal manipulation system according to claim 1 wherein the steering element includes a micro-electromechanical (MEMS) mirror array having one mirror for each said output port.

8. An optical signal manipulation system according to claim 1 wherein the wavelength manipulation element includes a liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) device having a two-dimensional array of phase manipulation elements.

9. An optical signal manipulation system according to claim 8 wherein said LCOS device includes a plurality of processing regions each defined by a subset of the phase manipulation elements, each said processing region being configured to independently manipulate said spatially separated wavelength channels originating from a corresponding input port and wherein each said processing region includes a plurality of spatially separated channel directing regions configured to independently selectively steer the wavelength channels in the switching dimension.

11. An optical manipulation system according to claim 9 wherein said channel directing regions are reconfigurable in size to accommodate wavelength channels of different spectral width and spacing.

12. An optical manipulation system according to claim 9 wherein said channel directing regions on adjacent processing regions corresponding to a particular wavelength channel are offset from one another in the dispersion dimension.

13. An optical signal manipulation system according to claim 1 further including a Fourier transformer for converting the spatial offset of each said optical signal to a predefined angle in the switching dimension.

14. An optical signal manipulation system according to claim 13 wherein said Fourier transformer includes:

a first angled reflector surface for projecting said optical signals in a dimension perpendicular to their propagation direction;

a spherical mirror for angularly encoding said optical signals with a predefined angle based on their respective position along the switching dimension; and

a second angled reflector surface for returning said signals to their original propagation direction.

15. An optical signal manipulation system according to claim 1 including a directional signal separator for separating, in space, optical signals that propagate from said input ports to said wavelength manipulation element from optical signals that propagate from said wavelength manipulation element to said steering element.

16. An optical signal manipulation system according to claim 15 wherein said directional signal separator includes an angled mirror having an aperture extending therethrough.

19. An optical signal manipulation system according to claim 1 wherein said system is symmetric in optical path length about said wavelength manipulation element.

20. An optical signal manipulation system according to claim 1 being reversible in operation such that optical signals including one wavelength channel are input from said output ports to be coupled to predetermined input ports.

32. An optical signal manipulation system according to claim 1 wherein wavelength channels transmitted from different input ports and having a common wavelength are incident onto said wavelength manipulation element at positions offset from each other in said dispersion dimension.

10. (canceled)

17. (canceled)

18. (canceled)

21. An optical signal manipulation system including:

a plurality of input ports configured for transmitting an optical signal including a plurality of wavelength channels, said input ports being spatially separated at least in a switching dimension;

a wavelength dispersion element for simultaneously spatially separating said wavelength channels from said optical signals in a dispersion dimension perpendicular to said switching dimension;

an optical power element for focusing each said spatially separated wavelength channel in said dispersion dimension;

a wavelength manipulation element for separately manipulating each of the focused spatially separated wavelength channels to selectively steer the wavelength channels in at least the switching dimension; and

a steering element for independently selectively directing the wavelength channels in at least the switching dimension such that said wavelength channels are coupled to predetermined output ports disposed in predetermined positions spaced at least along said switching dimension;

wherein said wavelength manipulation element steers each said wavelength channel by an angle in the switching dimension, relative to a respective originating input port, which is less than an angle directed by said steering element in the switching dimension, relative to a respective output port.

22. (canceled)

23. An optical signal manipulation system including:

a series of optical input ports each for projecting a corresponding optical input signal, said signals including a predetermined series of wavelength channels;

a translation unit for translating the relative spatial position of the optical input port to a corresponding relative angular projection of the ports optical input signal;

an optical power element for focusing the optical energy of said optical input signals; and

an optical dispersion system for spatially dividing out wavelength channels of each optical input signal;

whereby the system produces an intermediate output of a series of spatially separated columns for each optical input signal, with each column having its wavelength dispersed along the column.

24. (canceled)

25. (canceled)

26. (canceled)

27. (canceled)

28. (canceled)

29. (canceled)

30. (canceled)

31. (canceled)